bunniee- what mandelic acid product do you use? I am in the market for a chemical exfoliant.

I use the 25% mandelic acid peel from Makeup Artists Choice - it's meant to be applied as a mask after washing, and rinsed off after a few minutes. It's a little hard to apply because the consistency is watery. I've also used the mandelic acid serum from Garden of Wisdom, which can be left on the skin unless it's too irritating. Both are good products but I get more noticeable results from the MUAC one.

I'm reluctant to post direct links because that might encourage more spammers, but if you google the company names they should be easy to find.

_________________Again, you are all brilliant and sexy. And I am lavender-laden and secure in my masculinity. - Sir Brancis Facon

bunniee- what mandelic acid product do you use? I am in the market for a chemical exfoliant.

I use the 25% mandelic acid peel from Makeup Artists Choice - it's meant to be applied as a mask after washing, and rinsed off after a few minutes. It's a little hard to apply because the consistency is watery. I've also used the mandelic acid serum from Garden of Wisdom, which can be left on the skin unless it's too irritating. Both are good products but I get more noticeable results from the MUAC one.

I'm reluctant to post direct links because that might encourage more spammers, but if you google the company names they should be easy to find.

awesome, that's the one I was looking at. I think I'll go with that as I'd rather have a mask-type thing than a serum.

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

Hey Quarantined, if you haven't used an alpha hydroxy product before or have sensitive skin, I'd suggest leaving the mandelic acid on for no longer than 3 minutes. I learned this the hard way and gave myself red, irritated skin.

A pinch of baking soda in water also helps to neutralize the acid after rinsing - I soak a cotton pad in the baking soda solution and apply it, then rinse again. I don't put anything on my face for at least an hour after a peel, and then only argan oil and a bland, no frills moisturizer.

_________________Again, you are all brilliant and sexy. And I am lavender-laden and secure in my masculinity. - Sir Brancis Facon

Hey Quarantined, if you haven't used an alpha hydroxy product before or have sensitive skin, I'd suggest leaving the mandelic acid on for no longer than 3 minutes. I learned this the hard way and gave myself red, irritated skin.

A pinch of baking soda in water also helps to neutralize the acid after rinsing - I soak a cotton pad in the baking soda solution and apply it, then rinse again. I don't put anything on my face for at least an hour after a peel, and then only argan oil and a bland, no frills moisturizer.

thanks- I will definitely be careful. I used to use glycolic peels a few years back and never had too much problem, but I will definitely proceed with caution at first and see how my skin reacts. I have been using a Derma E microdermabrasion scrub once a week but would like to phase out scrubs, since as you mentioned they can be damaging.

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

It might seem scary to apply a pure oil to your face, especially if you have finicky skin, but we have been doing just that and our skin is completely turning around. It's smooth, clear and radiant, all thanks to using argan oil as our daily morning moisturizer.

I wanted to start a thread for older folks like me, who are interested in vegan products for aging skin. I know I'm not the only person over 40 on here, and maybe this will be useful to younger ones too.

I personally don't care about wrinkles or looking 10 years younger, but I'll admit to being bothered by the loss of firmness and dull, dry looking skin now that I am edging closer to 50 (damn I'm old). Here's a few things that I have learned over the years and stuff I use. I would love to hear what other folks are doing & using.

Sun protection - If you do nothing else, using sunscreen regularly may help protect the skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. Carrying a parasol or umbrella can shield your face & body from the sun too, but I wouldn't rely on it exclusively. Even if you don't care about wrinkles, skin cancer is serious business and can even be deadly. My mom and brother have both had skin cancer; fortunately it was caught and treated in time. Tip: when applying sunscreen to your face, don't forget your neck and upper chest! I've been told I look younger than my age, which I take with a huge grain of salt, but I attribute this to staying out of the sun as much as possible.

Exfoliation - Older skin cells don't turn over as quickly, and exfoliants can help get rid of the layer of dead, dry skin. I don't like manual scrubs because I've read they can be damaging; making microscopic cuts in the skin. I prefer to use chemical peels for exfoliation. Mandelic acid is the mildest of chemical peels and is derived from bitter almonds. I have sensitive skin and can use a mandelic acid peel weekly with only temporary, mild irritation. I don't see noticeable peeling from it but my skin feels smoother, firmer, and looks brighter. Glycolic acid (aka alpha hydroxy) is stronger and is usually made from sugar cane. This was too irritating for me but may be great for those with less sensitive skin. Lactic acid peels are usually derived from cow's milk so booo to that.

Vitamin C - This is an antioxidant that is supposed to improve sun damage, boost the skin's ability to produce collagen, and even out skin tone. When used with sunscreen, vitamin C provides even more protection than sunscreen alone (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8869680). Unfortunately, vitamin C serums can be ridiculously expensive and spoil over time with exposure to oxygen and sunlight. I use Philosophy's turbo C powder which comes in a glass bottle with a measuring spoon. I mix a half scoop each day in my hand with a blob of serum, moisturizer, or sunscreen and spread that all over my face, neck, and upper chest area. The Philosophy C powder is not cheap either but only a tiny amount is needed and it's mixed up fresh each time, which makes it more economical in the long run.

Moisturizer - This won't prevent or cure wrinkles but a good moisturizer helps to protect the skin barrier and relieve dry skin. I use straight up coconut oil on my body in place of lotion, but oil alone is a bit too greasy for my face. I mix a few drops of argan oil with a basic moisturizer to use on my face, and this makes my skin soft without looking like an oil slick. Argan oil is supposed to have anti-wrinkle, anti-inflammatory, and other benefits that may or not be hype, but mostly I like it because it absorbs well. Camellia and jojoba oils are also nice (though jojoba is technically a wax).

If you are someone who doesn't care about anti-aging stuff, that's totally fine! But at least consider using sun protection as part of a long, healthy life. <3

Since I turned 35 my skin is getting drier, though my T-zone can still be pretty oily. I have totally stopped using any kind of soap or foaming cleanser on my face since I seem to get dry patches no matter what time of year. I've started using cleansing creams and just my homemade cleansing oil at night, and putting jojoba oil on my face every morning and night, even before my sunscreen in the AM. I feel like jojoba is my old standby that always seems to work and isn't too greasy. I can't even really handle any chemical exfoliation so just still use a microdermabrasion scrub once a week or so.

I also like using aloe juice as a toner though I had to cut down to using it once a day instead of twice.

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

My old standby is Key's Soap Solar Rx. I always come back to it. Lately I have been trying out the Acure facial sunscreen and it's weird. it goes on super greasy but does seem to sink in somewhat. Not sure I like it though. I was surprised as it got good reviews.

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

i bought the yes to grapefruit CC cream that has a nice facial sunscreen- not sure if that is the kind of thing you're looking for but it is really nice, and much better than what I was using before. the smell is strong- i like it, but you might want to see if you can smell it first to be sure.ETA: whoops, sorry, just saw your location and that this won't be helpful, but in case anyone stateside has the same question ill leave it.

Just my 2 cents, but I don't think that makeup and BB/CC type products are good sources of sun protection- unless you really slather them on, on every inch of your face, and most people don't do that with with makeup products. But I'm a sunscreen fanatic and I apply quite a bit of it to really get protected, and I know not everyone is so gung-ho.

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

Two years after discovering this thread, I finally bought vitamin C powder.

I also tried a locally available mineral sunscreen (because it had with the vegan society logo), but it's very opaque and leaves me looking like a clown or geisha.

I used to use the Neutrogena liquid sunscreen in a small bottle, but I haven't found a reliable replacement yet. I know Quarantine recommended Key's, but it's a lot more than I'm used to paying. I can understand why it costs more, but understanding and adjusting expectations are different.